A New Home for LHENA

Long time e-news subscribers and involved neighbors will know that for the past half-decade LHENA has held meetings at a co-working space at 2744 Lyndale Ave S, this location is also where our part-time staffers have been based out of. Most recently Jack O’Shaughnessy, and before him Valerie Blomberg, have drafted newsletters, coordinated campaigns, and kept LHENA running out of this space. This model of operating has allowed LHENA to reach thousands of neighbors and create a wide range of memorable events. But this set-up has also made it difficult for neighbors to attend meetings at times. This space was also not always open to the community and could not facilitate the hosting of events or other gatherings.

In late 2025, as the new three year budget cycle loomed large, the board at LHENA was presented with an opportunity. The nature of the way neighborhood associations are funded in Minneapolis created a situation where LHENA had roughly $37,000 that needed to be spent before 2026 or else LHENA would lose it. Making sure this amount of money was spent in an expedient, but also wise, informed, and democratic way was of critical importance to the board. Throughout late 2025 the volunteers on the LHENA board of directors queried the community for ideas, hosted neighborhood in-person informational sessions at Walker Library to discuss funding ideas and projects, and solicited ideas from neighbors across the Wedge. When all was said and done, LHENA was still left with a considerable amount of expiring funds. Much deliberation resulted in a vision, rather than a single idea. A vision of a neighborhood with more capacity, a neighborhood that could do more for its residents, a neighborhood that could have a more active role in promoting a high quality of life in the Wedge. One way to achieve this vision was finding a new home. LHENA used funds to acquire a new office space at 1017 W 24th Street. This space is more available to members of the community than our previous space, and has the potential to serve as a hub for neighbors to come together to access resources and participate in the organization. Our new office will help ensure that every neighbor knows about LHENA and the many resources we offer, whether it be harm reduction training or bi-weekly Food Shares. And not only that, but every neighbor is able to access these resources with as few hurdles as possible; awareness AND access. We look forward to welcoming you to this new space, right now the walls are a bit bare, but as soon as we are ready we will be happy to have you, whether it’s just popping by or attending an event, this space will be a home for all.